SPORTS TURF MAINTENANCE OFFICER

Best suited for: Australian citizens, Permanent Residents, New Zealand citizens, Subclass 485/491/191 visa holders seeking local government career experience at Victoria's Latrobe Valley which offers rich rail heritage, recreational nature trails, and proximity to beautiful lakes.

About This Opportunity

Developing a career within local government sports turf management, premium asset preservation, and elite civil grounds operations offers an exceptionally stable and rewarding professional path in Australia. Operating across the expansive regional hubs of Latrobe City Council in Victoria, the Infrastructure and Sustainability Directorate is dedicated to maintaining world-class municipal infrastructure. This permanent full-time position within the City Presentation department presents a premier opportunity to lead specialized maintenance activities across Council’s top-tier Premier Venues. Delivering robust corporate stability, hands-on apprentice mentorship programs, and a highly collaborative team environment, this residential role is perfect for a qualified greenskeeper or sports turf specialist looking to showcase professional trade skills at high-profile sporting facilities.

Job Summary

Latrobe City Council is seeking a highly skilled and proactive Sports Turf Maintenance Officer to manage its high-profile regional Centres of Excellence. Reporting directly to the Supervisor Sporting Reserve Maintenance, the successful candidate will play a critical role in the upkeep of premier playing surfaces, including the Regional Cricket Centre of Excellence (Ted Summerton Reserve), Regional Football Centre of Excellence (Morwell Recreation Reserve), and Regional Soccer Centre of Excellence (Gippsland Sports and Entertainment Park). This technical trade role balances routine municipal mowing and grounds upkeep with highly specialized turf cricket pitch preparation, perched water table surface monitoring, precision chemical application, and active apprentice development.

• Employer Name: Latrobe City Council
• Employment Type: Permanent / Full-Time
• Desirable Education Level: Minimum Certificate III in Sports Turf Management is essential (Relevant post-trade certificates are highly regarded)
• Work Arrangement: On-site
• Employment Location: Morwell Depot, Victoria, Australia
• Estimated Salary: AUD $73,617.96 - $78,471.29 
• Application Deadline: 31/07/2026 

Key Responsibilities

• Lead all specialized turf maintenance, renovations, and aesthetic grooming routines across Council's Premier Venues and Centres of Excellence.
• Prepare, construct, and maintain turf cricket wickets to an elite, professional standard across multiple codes and regional grounds.
• Operate and conduct routine mechanical maintenance on commercial turf plant, including tractors, chemical applicators, cylinder mowers, ride-on mowers, and spreaders.
• Identify grass species, weeds, and turf pests, implementing appropriate cultural practices and precision chemical/fertilizer application measures.
• Monitor, operate, and repair complex sporting reserve irrigation systems, managing nutritional programs to promote healthy warm and cool-season grass growth.
• Provide detailed on-the-job training and technical mentorship to apprentices completing their Certificate III in Sports Turf Management.
• Utilize general computer literacy to document daily plant pre-start safety checks, input work timesheets, and log OHS compliance data.
• Uphold an absolute commitment to public safety, environmental regulations, child-safe compliance frameworks, and Council's workplace health and safety policies.

Skills & Requirements

• Must hold a formal Certificate III in Sports Turf Management.
• Proven practical experience maintaining high-end turf surfaces, perched water table playing fields, and professional turf cricket pitches.
• Demonstrated technical knowledge of industry standards relating to oval renovations and the seasonal management of cool and warm-season grasses.
• Safe, competent operation and routine mechanical servicing of commercial turf-care machinery and outdoor power tools.
• Excellent interpersonal communication skills with a proven ability to provide simplified instructions to apprentices and engage politely with the public.
• Must possess an active, valid Australian Chemical Users License.
• Must possess a valid Australian Medium Rigid (MR) vehicle driver's license as a minimum.
• Must hold a Work Health and Safety (WHS) Construction Induction White Card.
• Must hold a valid Traffic Control and Worksite Management Certificate.
• Must clear and maintain a satisfactory National Police Records Check and a Working with Children Check.
• Current First Aid Certificate highly desirable

Benefits

• Premium career stability backed by a permanent position within a stable, progressive Victorian local government framework.
• Dedicated internal budgets allocated to fund individual technical training and long-term professional development programs.
• Direct access to structured trade mentorship pathways and an inclusive, welcoming corporate culture.
• Attractive penalty framework adjustments designed to reward flexible out-of-hours event assistance.
• Direct access to a comprehensive Staff Wellness Program and an inclusive corporate network.
• Access to the Fitness Passport scheme, offering unlimited corporate use at a massive network of participating fitness businesses.
• Generous Leave Extensions, featuring unique opportunities to take accumulated leave blocks at half pay.
• Attractive Paid Parental Leave frameworks structured to support both primary and secondary caregivers.
• Long Service Leave allocations accessible early, starting at just 5 years of verified service.
• Flexible, tax-effective Salary Packaging options tailored to restructure everyday living and vehicle expenses.

Important Applicant Information

• Applicants must hold immediate, completely valid, and legal domestic working rights within Australia at the absolute time of processing application files. Valid Australian work visas are accepted.
• Residential Placement Context: This is an innovative, community-embedded regional infrastructure role based across Latrobe City's premier reserves.
• Merit-Based Shortlisting: Latrobe City Council operates a transparent, merit-based evaluation framework. Applications are reviewed, assessed, and shortlisted progressively based on the key selection criteria.
• Pre-Employment Compliance Check: Shortlisted candidates selected to progress past the primary interview stage must pass comprehensive pre-employment verifications, including a satisfactory medical clearance check, reference checking, and license validation.
• Please note: The employer has not indicated that offshore international visa sponsorship is accessible for this placement.

Required Application Documents:

• A detailed, current professional resume outlining your sports turf history, wicket preparation background, plant tickets, driver's license categories, and active reference contacts.
• An online application submission cleanly addressing the targeted Key Selection Criteria questions.

Eligible applicants include:

• Australian citizens
• Permanent Residents (PR)
• New Zealand citizens
• Subclass 485 / 491 / 191 visa holders
• Any onshore temporary visa holders with unrestricted, legal Australian work rights.

About The Employer

Latrobe City Council governs an expansive, economically diverse major regional sector of the Gippsland region in eastern Victoria. Headquartered across major hubs like Morwell and Moe, the Council emphasizes a high-performance, community-first approach, investing heavily in premier regional sporting infrastructure, park preservation, and tourism venues. Guided firmly by its internal brand values of Accountability, Trust, Collaboration, and Innovation, Latrobe City Council actively empowers its field teams to succeed while maintaining a supportive corporate environment that prioritizes public safety, child protection, and professional fulfillment.

Applicant Safety Reminder

• You must possess valid work rights to be employed in Australia.
• Never send funds to secure an interview or a job offer.
• Do not share banking or credit card details to anyone.
• Always cross-check employer credentials before accepting any job proposal.

Original Source: Latrobe City Council Careers Portal - Vacancy: Sports Turf Maintenance Officer – Centres of Excellence (Reference 101592)